The Invercargill Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1864.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 43, 15 February 1864, Page 4

The Invercargill Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1864.

The Estimates foi* the ensuing year laid on the table of the Council, are the bitterest satire on Provincial Governments, and the strongest argument in favor of an alteration in the Constitution of New Zealand, by which the expensive machinery of local government might be done away with. The Province is not a very large one, yet it would seem it requires £3G,SSS Is. Sd. per annum, for Government officials alone. This sum does not include the travelling expenses and contingencies of each department; which of course the department takes every care to spend. It is anticipated that we shall obtain during the eight . months ending the 30th September, 1864, £107,370 3s. lid., and it costs us at the rate of close on £-10,000 a year to do so. ISfot a bad per centage on collection. Taken separately, some of the items show such a wonderful proportion, one cannot but be struck with the singularly businesslike method of conducting affairs which obtains in the Province ; cannot feel so much surprised that we have " floating liabilities of about £100,000" knocking about somewhere. For instance, the revenue anticipated from jetty dues is £3,500. "Under the jetties and wharves department, it would appear it costs at the rate of £3,478 6s. Bd. per annum to collect it. ¥e hope we may get the. foriner, , we are sure we shall have to pay the : latter, which is very satisfactory. Surely some better mode of farming ! this department might be found, by , which it would really yield a revenue. We would imagine that were the jetties let by contract, a scale of charges being fixed, the public service would be quite as well attended to, and the public benefited by the receipts. At present, we question much whether in reality the expenditure in this department is not in excess of the receipts. At any rate, we trust something will be done in the matter before the Campbelltown and Mokomoko jetties are finished. The expense then, under the present system, Ave presume would be trebled. Ten thousand four hundred and thirty four pounds is no trifle for jetties and wharves. Under the head of " Public Works " the expenditure is put down at £5,100 ; to. effect this costs £700 per annum — a pretty fair per centage. The most peculiar item of expenditure is that of " G-old-fields "—Clerk andG-old Agent, £400 ; Gold-fields police, £300. This is under the head- of Supplemeiitary Estimates — Contingent. Does it mean it is placed there to provide for the contingency of a gold-field being discovered ? Or, does it mean that it is no contingency, but that the money is being spent at the present time in keeping up the useless agency at the Whakatipu Lake, and' police to watch the empty safe ? If so, it ought to be honestly stated as such. The Provincial Council ought to know whether they are really voting a contingency, or a permanent <and present, salary. They would then be .able to determine whether it is worth while

[ paying £700 a-year for what is totally valueless to the Province. Froin the subjoined statement, taken from the Estimates for the years 1861-62-G3, it would appear that a snowball is not the only thing which accumulates as it rolls on. In tho onward progress of the Province, salaries seem to keep pace not only with it, but to outstrip it. In 1861, the revenue for the mfce months ending the 3.lst December was estimated at ,£20,057 odd : the salaries, £472-6 per annum. In 1862, for the nine months ending 30th September, revenue, £58,742 ; salaries, at the rate of £13,0*13. In 1803, for tho twelve months ending 80th Septembers revenue, £95,841; salaries, £22,102^ Till we reach the culminating point of the present estimates— -^anticipated revenue, £107,370, salaries, £36,858, not including the Bailway Staff. . Kor iq this the only peculiar feature in the study of those Estimates-. .The increase of the Staff is on the inverse ratio to that ofthe work. In 1363 we find -the estimated expenditure cm Boa-els find Public Works to be £58,100. The salaries of the Engineer's .Department, £1,900* At that time one omcor had the control of both, and was termed Provincial Engineer. In the present estimates the sum put down for Boads is £45,250, for Public Works, £5,100 —conjointly, £50,350, or, two thousand seven hundred and fifty less than the preceding year's estimate. _ The I salaries, however, show a flourishing i increase, being for the Engineer of Works department, £600 ; Roads and Bridges, £2,200; total, £2,800, or, £840 in excess of the preceding year ; thus establishing the principle that the less work you have to clo, the more men you require to do it. ( It must moreover be borne in mind that the winter is so near at hand that it will be impossible to expend properly the £45,000 odd set down under the head of, Eoads ; unless, indeed, the money is thrown away in the usual manner. It appears difficult therefore to realize the necessity of keeping up an experienced staff ; to have two Assistant Engineers this year when one was sufficient last_ Unless, indeed, to impose on strangers the im|jression that we really mean to do it if we get a chance. Whether it is worth while on tin's account- to pay men to show themselves about town, is a matter for the consideration ofthe Council.

We do not object so much to the rate of salary put down on the Estimates, as to the extraordinary number of officers which it appears are necessary to carry on the public business" of a Province of three millions of acres. We hold that the principle of paying a man well is a sound one. It is an encouragement to a- man to do his duty effectively, and there is a better chance of obtaining good men to fill the positions. Bufc let him Avork well for his remuneration. If all tlie clerks in the Grovernment offices really worked their best, surely it would not require such a number. * We seem to perfectly crawl with Grovernment officials. The subcommittee for natural productions to be sent to the Exhibition in Dunedin, will, we presume, send up one or two. They really seem to come under this category. If we only progress as rapidly in this line as we appear to have done since the commencement of our independence, we shall have a good many " floating liabilities," and require all our revenue to pay our officers. Tliere are certain departments which ought to be kept up at auy cost ; and it pays to do so-— such as the Police and Harbor Department. The former, if it costs a good sum per amiuirfb is, owing to the able administration of Mr. GoitMissiosEß. "Weldon, in a thoroughly efficient state. • In saving the property and lives of the people, it more than repays the outlay. Eeeent outrages, while they have shewn the necessity of a strong force being kept up, have shewn also its efficiency. We would take no exception, therefore, at this item of expenditure. The Harbor Department must also*be kept up at any cost. Eoads and Railways are of little use if we do not keep open, our ports. Experience has shown us that we can only do this by a sufficient staff of Pilots, both as regards numbers and efficiency. To get a Pilot worth having you must pay well — as well, at any rate, as for a good captain of an ordinary sailing vessel. He is worth to the Province all the money he receives. The wreck of one vessel does more harm than a road being ill constructed, or not constructed at all. This Department we do nofc consider by any means overpaid. But when Ave find under the head of Jetties and Wharves there are no less than thirteen officials, required to transact the business of the Invercargill Jetty alone, we must confess to a feeling that there is something wrong here. We have said thirteen, . because opposite the item Jetty Clerks, is the sum of £720 ; we conclude five can be got for that sum. If in reality that number is absolutely requisite, the sooner we discover some other way of collecting the dues the better. In the Eoads Department Ave find, beside the head, two Assistant Engineers, four Inspectors, two Clerks ; and in the Public Works another Engineer, another Clerk and Draughtsman. As Ave have already pointed out, these two departments, uuder the present circumstances, hardly come under the head of reproductive Avorks. Surely some lopping might be judiciously executed here. The Survey Department cannot, of course, be reduced. But it is, in reality, a reproductiA r e one. The more Surveyors employed, the more land comes into the market ; the more" likelihood of our anticipated revenue

being obtained. But there must be some reduction somewhere. We have no doubt the Provincial Council will turn their attention to this subject — will earnestly endeavour to reduce this enormous expendiI ture. This investigation will lead to I, another matter — -by whom were all these appointments made ? Who is responsible for them ? Has the spirit and letter of the Provincial Government Ordinance '62, been steadily and systematically broken ? If so, has the power ancl patronage thus usurped been judiciously exercised-—* beneficially for the Provmce, or not ? If not, wnat seourity can th-e Council exact, that when next it meets, the present little item of salaries has not swelled to sixty thousand per annum? And lastly, whether is it better to look to one individual, whom we cannot make responsible, 'as the dictator of our destinies, or- prefer his being directed and advised by men responsible to the Council .jeven under the present defective Executive sms* i tetii ? Xn point of fact, decide whether | it is better to -establish as an institution | a u - natural -chief," instead of a Super- j intendent.

The present "Provincial Government Ordinance," tlie only one under which we can possibly enjoy the shadow of a responsible Government, is undoubtedly very deficient in. many respects. While providing for an Executive, and that the Superintendent should act in oonoert wiih it and by its advice, it makes no provision for paying it, Thu?, beyond the barren honor of thei thing, which, under the regime of his present Honor, is barely sufficient remuneration for the trouble entailed, und t he contempt with which itis treated by the Superintendent, there is nothing to be gained. But, however deficient that Ordinance is in providing for responsible Government in the ordinary acceptation of the term, the stipulations are uot the less binding on the parties who signed the sigreement. So long as the Superintendent could get an Executive to give iheir time and. trouble for nothing, he was* bound to ask their advice. Whether they were paid heads of departments or not, is not ihe question. Such as they were, they were accepted by His Honor. Au infringement of the contract, is just as muoh lo be "deprecated. Strangers coming amongst us now view us under entirely altered circumstances to those under which tlie Ordinance was passed. While they ought, they do not take the I trouble to ascertain what those circumstances were. lieuee, misstate mens and eivoneons impressions are disseminated. We started with an Estimated -Revenue of £20,000-— half of which was to bo raised by the sale of. dohen- . tures. To have had a paid Executive ! — a Provincial Secretary — a Minister of Public Works, and so forth, would have been simply absurd.. The Otago goldfields were discovered soon after the Province started with a separate existence. Circumstances were entirely altered. We. had no occasion to raise tho £10,000 by the sale of debentures. The Treasury overflowed. by iho unexpected sales' of land. Since then, circumstances have hurried us on witli an unprecedented rapidity. From infancy to matured manhood was but one stride. Laws applicable t'o our condition then, are perhaps inapplicable now. 'ihis docs not alter, however, the .conditions of the original agreement entered into between the Superintendent and the Provincial Council. -Whether an unpaid Executive is desirable or not, whether our present responsible system of Government is a' ""shuni" or not, so long as the Provincial Council is agreed to look upon the Executive as at present constituted as a responsible one, and is satisfied with the bargain, His Honor has no business to object to it. The Provincial Council' has a perfect right to enquire into the reasons for any breach of covenant. In doing so it is not setting "up* men of straw to knock them down again." It is not surprising thatthe idea of living underthe rule of an autocrat was repudiated. Circumstances tend to the belief that we are. When we ere informed that "our" own Superintendent is known to hold and exercise an authority imleperidant of and superior to that of his ministers." and also that he is " our natural chief," it is . surely excusable to fear there is danger of an autocracy being established, — that is, if there is any reliance to be placed in the information afforded, and j further, that tliere are some who feel inclined to live "under the rule of au autocrat." It is no use talking about •fixing responsibility on a man when you cannot do it. This is setting "up men of straw to knock them down again." A new Executive Council's Ordinance is required to meet our present wants. To this subject we will recur at some future time, aud will presently conclude by explaining the eireumstauces under whieh Mb. Chalmers is entitled to hold his appointment as Provincial Treasurer — though he has vacated his seat at the Executive Council boa^d,* circumstances which,, it would appear, are gravely misunderstood.; ' When Mr. Cuaxmeiis was appointed Provincial -Treasurer ' it was distinctly understood ■ that it was not a political appointment' that he did not hold it as a member of the Ministry. Whether it ought to have been such or hot is not the question. We have simply to deal with facts as we iind; them. It is not the duty of a journal aspiring to lead public opinion to invent, and thereby seek to asperse the character of ,a publie officer. If there was no intention to invent, a little trouble might have obtained the true knowledge of : the facts, and have spared the authors: the supposition of either malice or ignorance. Under the circumstances, we d-d not think the members of the. Provincial "Council will 'conceive it necessary to I accept the advice so kindly tendered,

viz. — to "pass a vote of censure upoa Me. Ch aljiers for resigning his seat at the Council hoard without resigning his office as Treasurer." Tho Provincial Council may be below " the level of tho occasion," but we do not think they are quite so stupid as to do anything so foolish. Perhaps, everything consi-. dered, they mny manage " the oocasion " better than probably may be desirable lo some. As regards Ms. Chalhebs himself — not being bound by any ties of honor or duty to resign — he may be excused if he hns an ohjeotion to gratify the feelings of soma at an expense to himself of £500 a year. A 1 ? to his resigning his seat ns a member of the Executive) u without tendering to His Honor Iho name of a successor,*' considering that nine members of the Provincial Council had already signed {< - the note " declaring they would not ucoepfc the office under His Honor for the very grounds on whioh Mn. CiiAiiMKas resigned, we do not. think it wonld have been of muoh use ; moro particularly after- having experienced tho tempo? of the House on this point sinctt it met, ,- '' ' ■ Knowing the oirohraafcancss, we do not see tliere is anything indecent in Mn. Ciuuaims' appearance in the Counoil. It ia a pity those who are ambitious of forming and leading publie opinion do not take the troub'o to ascertain tho facts of a case before they mislead, instead of inform the public, and malign the character of honorable men.